A Westerner and an Asian man smoking opium in French Indochina in 1930.

All over the world, addiction to drugs and alcohol affects a certain number of the population and a wide variety of treatments are available. While there is no agreed upon definition of the word addiction, it nearly always involves a user being compelled to use a substance no matter what the cost; be it financial, health related or emotional pain caused to the addict and others around him. This compulsion usually comes fr... Continue reading...

Josephine Baker was an American born cabaret performer who rose to stardom in the 1920s as a result of her unique talent for captivating an audience, however she was so much more than an entertainer. Her strong personality, integrity and bravery in the face of adversity helped her gain honours for her part in the French Resistance movement during World War Two, as well as leading to her becoming an instrumental figure in the civil rights movemen... Continue reading...

18th century engraving of Eleazar's exploit as described in the bible. Courtesy of Wiki-Commons

One of the most interesting and unusual uses of domesticated animals in history was the use of war elephants, which probably first began around 4,000 BCE in the Indus River Valley. Later, the largest land mammals in the animal kingdom were used in many battles including against Alexander the Great's forces, by Hannibal's Carthaginian army against the Romans and by the Sultans of India when fighting... Continue reading...

During the early middle ages, the science of medicine was in its infancy and progress was often slow. Superstition and speculation ruled but as the period wore on, the discipline grew and knowledge gradually began to blossom leaving some of the stranger beliefs to become nothing more than medieval medicine history.

On the edge of the Roman Empire was a backwater island known as Britain, inhabited by the ‘barbarians’ known as the Celts. Unlike the Romans, they afforded women a level of suffrage that included the right to inherit property and to become a tribal leader. Howerver when Queen Boudicca tried to exercise these rights, it led to a revolt that almost saw the Romans defeated and expelled by a band of disgruntled tribesmen.

High heel shoes have their roots in ancient civilization and have existed in some form or another ever since. From then until the modern incarnation of the shoe, it has often been more than just a practical piece of footwear and has acted as a Symbol of social class, gender and sexuality.